Who Should Choose The Cake Design????

I have this customer, she has bought several cakes including a quinceanera cake for her daughter. Well she brings a friend and her daughter for a quinceanera cake too. The kid seem a little quiet and the mother kept on with the details. Well ok by me. Some mothers won't let the kid choos their cake. But a couple of weeks ago my customer tells me that her friend's daughter change th design of the cake, that she didn't like it the way the mother told me. It's a very different design. And since my customer is paying, she told me that her friend could take it out on her. Because they weren't telling her friend until she saw the cake at the party.

Well the cake is for this saturday and today they came and my customer's friend still think we are talking about the cake she chose.

What should I do? They still haven't talked about it. And I couldn't talk to my customer alone, and I didn't wanted to say anything because I didn't wanted the daughter to get punished right before her quinceanera.

Of course I need to talk to the woman paying, I just hadn't had the chance. I'll go to her house tomorrow. But still don't now if I should do as the mother or as the daughter wants....

Who's paying for the cake? The mother of the girl or the friend? Honestly, either way I would be telling both parties that you are uncomfortable perpetrating a fraud (lol) which is different from making a surprise design for someone. Oy! I feel bad for ya

I wouldn't like it either but you have an order from the person paying and they requested the change. Your regular customer is willing to take the fall. It may just be me but the fact that she is your regular customer and the one paying, I'd be inclined to make her happy and play dumb with the mom Next time, it happens though, you may want to say you're not comfortable misleading the mother but now it's a little late.

Tell the paying customer that you are very uncomfortable with this situation, and you are seriously concerned about the repercussions for your business when the mother finds out that cake is not what she ordered. The other friend may be willing to take the fall, but I bet the cake lady is going to come in for a big share of the blame. I would be inclined to tell the friend that she has to at least tell the mother that the daughter changed the design and that she (friend) okayed it, even if she doesn't reveal what the changes actually are. And I would probably tell her that if she does not tell her friend, you feel morally or ethically or whatever obliged to let her know that the cake design has been changed.

You are a cake decorator. You were hired to make a cake - and the person paying for the cake is the person who chooses the design. I would be uncomfortable lying to the mother, so I'd tell the customer that if you are faced with that situation again, you will be honest.

The only time I could see lying about a cake is when it's a happy surprise.

I was thinking about telling my customer to talk to her friend before saturday so she'll know about the cake. And yes, I know I have to speak to my customer asap. Let's hope this doesn't trun ugly!! Thanks for your input!! Good night!!

That is a very sticky situation! Do you have a written contract? If so, who actually signed it? That would utimately determine who your order is actually with, regardless of who's paying for it. If it were me, I would not feel comfortable with changing the design without the mother's knowledge, since she did come in for the consultation and chose the original design. Just because the friend who's paying say's she will take the blame, doesn't mean the mother won't blame you, ya know? I would tell the friend that sorry, but they are going to have to work this out between them ahead of time.

I always clarify at the time of order just who the contract is with and who is authorized to make changes, especially when I have situations like this, where another party is paying for the cake. I tell them the person who signs the contract is the only one who can make changes, unless they chose to authorize someone else, and there is a line to designate that on the form. That way you don't get caught in the middle in a situation like yours, or between a bride who wants to change the order to something way over budget and Mom & Dad who are paying for it.

I always clarify at the time of order just who the contract is with and who is authorized to make changes, especially when I have situations like this, where another party is paying for the cake. I tell them the person who signs the contract is the only one who can make changes, unless they chose to authorize someone else, and there is a line to designate that on the form. That way you don't get caught in the middle in a situation like yours, or between a bride who wants to change the order to something way over budget and Mom & Dad who are paying for it.

Good Luck!

That's such a great idea. I was thinking on a way to include it in my contract, for future orders. For now, I' going right now to talk to my customer.

The line about who is authorized to make changes is a good idea, but it isn't quite this situation. The person paying for it is making the change, but the cake is for someone else's celebration, and they are not being told about the change. I mean, if mom and dad pay for the wedding cake, you probably wouldn't feel comfortable having them change the design totally without letting the bride know. I'm not a fancy party person myself, but what if the design of the cake is some kind of theme that is being reflected in other elements of the party?

Well, let us know what your customer says/does. I guess if the mother really doesn't like the changes, she can order/pay for her own cake.

Just in case anybody is wondering.....My customer (the lady who's paying) talked to the kid having the party, and the kid accepted the desing the mother chose, because she didn't want any trouble with her mother a couple of days before her quinceanera. So everythoing went well and this gave me a very good lesson and I'm for sure, adding a couple of clauses to my contract. Thanks for listening and for your comments.